Middle East Research and Information Project

Critical Coverage of the Middle East Since 1971

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Ekin Kurtiç

Ekin Kurtiç is Neubauer Junior Research Fellow at the Crown Center for Middle East Studies at Brandeis University.

Wildfires Ignite Political Debate in Turkey
A firefighter extinguishes a forest fire near the town of Manavgat, Turkey, July 30, 2021. Kaan Soyturk/ReutersImage from the Geleceğe Nefes (Breath for the Future) campaign website during the 2021 wildfires. The text on the left reads “Our life is burnt” (a phrase that actually means “We are hurt”). The text on the right side reads “We will make it green.” The two lines underneath them read “Adopt a plant, and give breath to the future of burnt areas.” Source: https://gelecegenefes.com/
Current Analysis

Wildfires Ignite Political Debate in Turkey

Although wildfires in Turkey's Mediterranean forests are not unusual, the ferocity of last summer's fires sparked new political debates around the issues of government forest management and post-fire restoration. Turkish forestry experts and the public are now questioning conventional solutions prom
Ekin Kurtiç • 13 min read